Dragon Shadows
by Millennium Slinky
Summary: The truth about life in the Shadow Realm monsters live in fortresses, with the others from their decks. Each have their own history, their own flaws, their own gripes... Featuring REBD and Harpie Ladies
1. Kuriboh Returns!

Me: We don't own Yu-gi-oh, so there!! :P But anyway...Hiya!! If you've read any of my other fics, you're probably reading this one in hopes that I'll write something non-Angst/Humor for a change. It's Action/Adventure!!  
  
Chaos: I have a bad feeling about this. ;''-.-'';()  
  
Me: And if you haven't read any of my other fics, I'm Millennium Slinky. I'm just another slightly wacked-out, rabid fangirl like everyone else here. And if you're my beloved reviewers from 'Daughter of Anubis' or 'The Sound of Silence', hi!! ^o^  
  
A note: the representation of Yami Yugi in this fic is using his personality from the legendary First Season. And this is when he was a complete and utter bully. Which means really really mean. Which also means he A) beats on Yugi, and B) might have beat on his monsters in the Shadow Realm as well.  
  
Quick recap: This is set in the Shadow Realm. I just had this completely weird idea - where do the monsters go in the Shadow Realm while you're not using them? Well, it seemed logical to think that monsters from one person's deck would like, live together. In a castle? Seems logical. And then they have wars with other people's monsters over land and stuff. Think middle-ages. Happy reading!! Hope you don't hate it too much!!  
  
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Dragon Shadows: Chapter One  
  
He topped the small rise that marked the beginning of the pharaoh's domain. Home, home at last. The small fortress was dark and forbidding up ahead, but it was still a safe haven for Duel Monsters, specifically those who served the pharaoh.  
  
He knocked at the gate. It was opened by Gaia, who had watch duty. "Finally, Sinistrad! Welcome back, Magician." He only nodded tiredly in answer, trudging wearily up the stairs as the knight closed the gate behind him.  
  
He was greeted enthusiastically by the rest of the creatures inside, safely returned. There would be celebration long into the night when the last few monsters came home, provided that the pharaoh's duel against Pegasus was won. He hoped it had been a victory - he would not have been wanted to be sacrificed for nothing.  
  
Once inside his chambers, he shed the purple armor, pulling on a long, blue robe that matched the color of his eyes. The staff he kept, however - no spellcaster felt safe without their most useful tool.  
  
There was a sudden increase in the level of volume outside. Sinistrad was up immediately, opening the door to the common room. The Celtic Guardian, Loki, saw him and announced, "The Kuriboh's been sighted!"  
  
Knowing what this must mean, he pushed through the crowd of monsters to the door, back down the stone stairs and into the courtyard. There was the Kuriboh, making noises of excitement. Back by the gate, Gaia was helping someone to their feet. Their face couldn't be seen in the shadows, but the wild black hair and elaborate headdress identified the newcomer as the Magician of Black Chaos. The one Sinistrad and Pegasus' Jigen Bakudan had been sacrificed to summon. His attire was bloody and ripped in some places; his normally turquoise-skinned face was tinged faintly purple. He looked battleworn, fit to collapse.  
  
The Dark Magician offered a hand to Chaos, who seized it gratefully. "What happened?" Sinistrad said urgently. "Did the pharaoh win?"  
  
"He won," whispered Chaos, his voice hoarse, "But there's a new danger here. In the Shadow Realm. We were attacked by some strange monsters, on the borders of the pharaoh's land. They seemed to believe that this was their territory, and tried to kill us over it."  
  
"What kind of monsters?"  
  
"Dragons. A genie called La Jinn. One of those Dark Clown creatures."  
  
Sinistrad thought fast. Dragons. La Jinn. Dark Clown. He knew these monsters. Just one more thing. "What kind of dragons?"  
  
Chaos had passed out.  
  
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Me: Well? What do you think? This is my first attempt at writing something without most of the normal cast and just the monsters.  
  
Chaos: ;''-.-''; And you have to start off by making me unconscious.  
  
Me: Silence, fool!! Since this fic is supposed to be more serious than Daughter of Anubis, Action/Adventure instead of Angst/Humor, there HOPEFULLY won't be as much author's-notes-insanity and junk like that. ;''- .-'';  
  
Chaos: How'd you copy my face?!?!?!  
  
Me: Drat. *gives it back*  
  
Chaos: That's better. ;''-.-''; You said there WOULDN'T be as much insanity. This is dangerously close.  
  
Me: Oh. Right. ^^;; If you want to ever see more of this story, review. The chapters here will be shorter, so I won't have to force myself to write about seven pages of terrific angst and humor. I have quite a bit written already, but I need to know if people like this idea or not. Toodles!! 


	2. The Crush Card, Virus?

Me: Well, we still don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I suppose if you're reading this, you must've read the first chapter as well, and if you read the first chapter, you must've liked it enough to read this!! Yay!!  
  
And so people aren't confused or anything: Sinistrad is the Dark Magician's name. I got tired of calling him 'The Dark Magician.' Too long. x_x And it doesn't belong to me, either. It belongs to Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I thought it sounded cool, so there!! :P And there's a joke on the Black Luster Soldier's name. You'll only get it if you know Latin, though!!  
  
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Dragon Shadows: Chapter Two  
  
The next morning, dawn was cold and grey. But then, that's how it normally was in the Shadow Realm. They had posted extra sentries on the battlements. Sinistrad was sitting in a chair in the common room, watching Chaos, staff held across his knees. Said mage had been deposited carefully on a low couch, where he lay unmoving. The Dark Magician frowned. His wounds had been healed by the Katana, the Mystical Elf - but still he would not wake. The Kuriboh was fine, strangely enough.  
  
He had always admired the other magician. The thin, strangely marked face, the flyaway black hair. The long, shapely arms and legs, the lean, catlike body. Ever since the pharaoh had brought him here, as an addition to his formidable ranks of monsters, he had been feared. And even though Chaos was the second-strongest creature, only outranked by Miles, the Black Luster Soldier, the others had never reached out to him. He kept mainly to himself. At times the pharaoh himself dared not use him in any duel, lest he do something to anger the mage. Only when he was in dire need of help did he call upon either Miles or Chaos. Sinistrad himself was the acknowledged leader and ruler while the pharaoh was away, even though he had never been the strongest. The other monsters loved and respected him, as they could not creatures with power beyond their imagining.  
  
Sinistrad didn't care about power. He only cared about using that power to the best of his abilities. That was why he kept his skills top-notch, so his magic and body would always be in perfect condition for battle, well- honed and formidable.  
  
But in the meanwhile, Sinistrad had other matters to ponder. Three dragons, a genie, and a clown. The answer was obvious - but one could never be too sure. But wait...something else. A clown. Chaos was, seemingly, ill.  
  
Sinistrad caught the Celtic Guardian, Loki, as he was about to go out the door. "Fetch the Kuriboh and Katana." Loki nodded once and continued down to the courtyard. Sinistrad waited impatiently until the door was opened again by the Mystical Elf, Katana. She stepped in, followed closely by the Kuriboh. He fixed his gaze on Katana. "Can you translate for both of us?"  
  
"Yes," she said, her voice soft and mellifluous.  
  
"Then ask him exactly what happened when he and Chaos were attacked."  
  
Katana murmured the question to the Kuriboh. Elves and fiends, being the exact opposite type of creatures, always understood each other perfectly. She listened as the Kuriboh 'wooo'ed several times, then turned back to the Dark Magician. "He says that they stumbled upon the other five monsters in the near-dark. The three dragons ignored them, but the other two prepared for battle. The Chaos Mage attacked the Dark Clown and destroyed it."  
  
"Just as I thought. Does he remember what the dragons looked like?"  
  
"They were...white...with blue..."  
  
"That clinches it," Sinistrad muttered. "Right. We now know that the monsters belong to none other than our nemesis, Seth. And the reason that Chaos is now...indisposed...is because the Dark Clown, namely Saggi the Dark Clown, was infected with a virus. You remember," he said. "The one he used on the pharaoh in our battle at Duelist Kingdom."  
  
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Me: Sorry if it's a bit short. That means more chapters!! *blinks* Are you still here? Are you still reading this?? You are?? Then review!! There's still more to come!! 


	3. Seth's Monsters vs Yami's Monsters

Chaos: We...don't...own...Yu-gi-oh...now leave me alone... *passes out again*  
  
Me: And so people aren't confused or anything: Sinistrad is the Dark Magician's name. I got tired of calling him 'The Dark Magician.' Too long. x_x And it doesn't belong to me, either. It belongs to Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I thought it sounded cool, so there!! :P And there's a somewhat lake joke on the Black Luster Soldier's name. You'll only get it if you know Latin, though!!  
  
And now, thanx to the reviewers: Dark Magician Girl2k2, Sento-Kami, Schala 85, and WSJ!! Of course we aren't killing Chaos!! Who would think I would murder my favorite character??  
  
Chaos: I would. ;''-.-'';  
  
Me: Silence, fool!! And no one kill Seto!! It's not his fault!! See, his yami, Yami Seth, is in the Shadow Realm. And his monsters are in the Shadow Realm!! So, therefore, Yami Seth is more likely to be able to control them that poor Seto, who's still stuck in the mortal realm, k?? *blinks* Did anyone understand that??  
  
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Dragon Shadows: Chapter Three  
  
Once Katana had developed a potion to counteract the virus, Chaos was up within a week, and determined to make up for time lost. He joined Sinistrad again in their daily workouts at dawn. These were not trials of magic - only using a staff and your own physical skills. Block, parry, extend, lunge...it all worked into a pattern, a smooth, serpentine dance. Sinistrad was physically stronger than most spellcasters, but Chaos was quick on his feet, with good reflexes.  
  
One lunged - the other blocked instantly. There was no need for thought. The movements were so familiar that it was pure instinct to respond to the other's attack in a fitting way. They were evenly matched, for the most part. It merely depended on what kind of fighting condition you were in. That was why it was so important to keep your skills honed.  
  
Sinistrad finally managed to sweep his staff around and down, knocking Chaos' knees out from under him, bringing him to a kneeling position. Then he lightly laid the end of his staff by the turquoise-skinned mage's neck, indicating that he was the victor. Had it been a real duel, or with any kind of blade, Chaos would have been dead. He bowed his head, accepting his defeat, then rose fluidly to his feet. They began again.  
  
*****  
  
The news came a while later that Seth's creatures were moving in on the fortress. They were prepared for battle. Prepared to fight for rights to the land surrounding the castle. The future looked grim and bleak, very like the Shadow Realm itself. Everywhere there were signs of war - armor polished, swords sharpened. The gates and the battlements were being reinforced. They would be ready for anything.  
  
*****  
  
The first battle was a nightmare. They had had no warning about their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. Every warrior was prepared - but not for this. Sinistrad was in the thick of things, wreaking devastation with his staff a whirl of motion. When the need came, he'd let fly a blast of dark magic, destroying all those in his path.  
  
Yet he could tell, by some inner sense, that they were losing. The opposing monsters were too powerful. He barely dodged the heavy-handed attack of the Judge Man, then sent an attack in response. And then, up ahead, he saw Chaos. Surrounded on all sides by a Ryu-Kishin, the genie La Jinn, Rude Kaiser, and a Battle Steer. None to match the power of his Chaos Strike spell, but he could only attack one at a time, while they could attack him all at once.  
  
Then, quite suddenly, something rose up in front of Sinistrad, blocking his view of his comrade. Something huge...shining...silvery-white...blue- eyed...winged...fanged. His worst nightmare. A Blue Eyes White Dragon.  
  
But suddenly, it disappeared. Sinistrad sighed in relief, but then he realized that Chaos was no longer there, either. Neither were his four opponents.  
  
"Retreat!!" Sinistrad called, hoping that his allies could hear him, and had the strength still to do as he ordered. "Back to the fortress!!"  
  
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Me: I love writing battle scenes. ^___^  
  
Chaos: I can tell. ;''-.-''; Reviews, please. It's the only way my life force is sustained. 


	4. The Aftermath

Kuriboh: Woo woo woo woo woo!!  
  
Mystical Elf: The translation is that we don't and never have and never will own Yu-gi-oh. *turns around* Can I get off the stage now??  
  
Chaos: NO!! I MUST FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE DISCLAIMER!! STAY!!  
  
Mystical Elf: *sighs* The things I do for my friends...  
  
Me: And the name of the Feral Imp I own!! I made it up!! No stealing!! And Curse of Dragon's name is because it was hilarious. At first.  
  
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Dragon Shadows: Chapter Four  
  
He found Chaos with Miles, the Black Luster Soldier, not far away. Their scattered troops regrouped, trudging the long, tiring way back to the castle. Kuriboh, as usual, was unharmed, chattering excitedly with Flandrian, the Feral Imp. Loki was engaged in an argument with Spork, the Curse of Dragon, about dragons having a natural resistance to magic.  
  
The Dark Magician cast an eye over the monsters. Most had taken some damage, but nothing that couldn't be healed later. It was Chaos that worried him most, though. He knew he hadn't been at full strength when the battle began, but the magician insisted on fighting. Now he was pressing one black-gloved hand against a spot on his side. Blood was seeping through the cloth. Sinistrad had always pestered him about armor of some sorts, but he would always retort that it would slow his movements. Maybe he was right, but he would always suffer serious damage from it.  
  
He lasted all the way back to the fortress, but by that time, Miles was half-carrying him. When all were inside and Gaia had shut and locked the gates, the entire crowd proceeded up to the common room and merely flopped wherever there was a chair or a cushion. Sinistrad unfastened his armor and dropped it on the floor, not caring about his sweat-soaked tunic. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. They couldn't go on like this. Not if they must battle for their land and their fortress night and day. Something had to be done.  
  
All the warriors had also discarded parts of their armor. Helmets, shields, swords, most of it lying in little heaps anywhere on the floor. No one said anything - they were bone tired. Curse of Dragon had remained outside with Gaia's horse. Katana was healing him of his wounds that instant, being one of the few monsters not to have gone into the battle.  
  
Chaos and Miles were both asleep on either end of the couch, Miles looking strangely smaller without his armor, in what could be judged as normal clothes. Chaos was still clutching his staff, even while unconscious, as if it were some form of protection. [A/N: like Kaiba's briefcase! Mwha!] Sinistrad suddenly sat bolt upright, leapt out of his chair, and began to climb the stairs to the highest tower.  
  
"What's the matter?" mumbled Loki, pointed ears pricked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," Sinistrad assured. "The pharaoh will do something about this." He disappeared up the winding staircase.  
  
*****  
  
Up at the top of the tower was a small, circular room, made of stone, the walls bare and grey. In the middle of the room was what appeared to be a marble altar. There was a hollow in the middle of the stone slab, filled with water. Sinistrad gazed into the pool of water for several minutes. "Pharaoh...pharaoh..." he called.  
  
After a few seconds, his lord's face appeared in the water, flickering slightly from the ripples. "Yes, magician?"  
  
"We have a problem." Sinistrad tried to sum it all up. "Seth's forces are moving in on our lands. I don't think we can last out another battle. Not against three Blue Eyes. Can you do something about it?" As an afterthought, he added, "We know you have connections to Seth's hikari."  
  
The pharaoh hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. I'm on my way." His face disappeared.  
  
Sinistrad, task done, padded back down the staircase.  
  
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Me: Yami eeeevil.... *hisses*  
  
Dark Magician: I have a feeling that this will not end well.  
  
Me: Of course not!! This is first-season Yami, remember??  
  
Dark Magician: Oh dear... ... ... ... Waaaiit a second - he drove people insane and stuff, didn't he? Didn't he?!?!? Am I about to lose my mind??  
  
Me: *already gone* REVIEWWWW!!! 


	5. The Pharaoh Cometh

Disclaimer: ... .... ... ...  
  
Me: Huh?? *glares* CHAOS!! YOU'D BETTER DO THAT RIGHT NOW OR THE DEAL IS OFF!!  
  
Chaos: All right!! We don't own Yu-gi-oh, dammit!!  
  
Me: Good. And the Beaver Warrior's name is because I was looking over my Pokemon cards and kept thinking about Pikachu. But it was short and easy to remember, so that's his name!!  
  
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Dragon Shadows - Chapter Five  
  
Chu, the Beaver Warrior, had gate duty that day. He alerted Sinistrad as soon as their lord was spotted by the sentries on the battlements. He was greeted lovingly by Spork, Katana, and all the other monsters outside, in the courtyard and on the walls. All adored the pharaoh.  
  
Sinistrad cracked open one blue eye when he heard the door to the common room open. By that time, nearly all of the monsters had passed out from exhaustion. Yami stood framed in the doorway. He flicked a crimson gaze over the assembled warriors. Sinistrad noted suspiciously that his eyes lingered longest on the unconscious Chaos.  
  
Long ago, when Egypt was still prosperous, the pharaoh had met with one of the sorcerers of his court in a friendly game. Well, as friendly as a Shadow Game could ever be. He had lost, because of the sorcerer's superior monster. Namely, Chaos. The pharaoh hadn't wanted to admit defeat, so he demanded that the sorcerer hand over his spellcaster. The man refused. Yami promptly beheaded him.  
  
He used Chaos' blind trust in his previous master to take advantage of the young mage, swaying him to his side. Well, back then he had been young compared to the others. But when he finally realized that his master had been executed, and his joining with the pharaoh's monsters was permanent, it irrefutably shattered any trust Chaos had for mankind. He only obeyed the pharaoh because he was bound to, as one of his creatures.  
  
Sinistrad remembered that night vividly. He remembered the quiet, then the clang of swords as the sorcerer was brought before the pharaoh, then slain. The screams were muffled by the thick walls of the palace. And the next morning the turquoise-skinned mage had joined them, never speaking, keeping his gaze to the floor. Everyone knew what had taken place, but no one ever spoke of it, especially not in the presence of the pharaoh.  
  
Ever since then, Sinistrad had made it a duty to keep an eye on Chaos, not knowing the extent of Yami's anger in the following weeks. He promised to himself that he'd protect the younger mage, even if it meant defying his master. He had a duty to the pharaoh, yes, but his fellow creatures came first.  
  
"Pharaoh?" Sinistrad said, raising an eyebrow. "The magical defenses?" Yami snatched his gaze away from the spellcaster on the couch. "I suppose you'll want to do that now?"  
  
*****  
  
The pharaoh went to the battlements, to the four towers on the corner. He had to perform a complex spell on each of the towers, each which represented one of the cardinal directions. The fortress was inside a square formed by the points of north, south, east, and west. In the meanwhile, the monsters had a hasty supper, then each retired to their respective chambers.  
  
When the pharaoh returned, there was only Sinistrad in the common room, looking through his spellbook. "There's more still to be done. But," he said, yawning, "I think I'll stay here for the night. One tires of the mortal realm before long." He went in the direction of his chambers, long unused.  
  
Sinistrad went to his own rooms, one over from Chaos' chambers. But he didn't go to sleep, even though he was bone tired.  
  
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Me: Eeeeevil Yami....  
  
Chaos: Didn't you say that last chapter??  
  
Me: So what?? My imagination's run dry.  
  
Chaos: Wow. First time in your life, I'll bet.  
  
Me: Yup. ^o^ Review!! Review review review!! 


	6. Still Driving People Insane?

Yami: *reads from paper* We don't own Yu-gi-oh...hey, wasn't that one of my names? Don't I own myself?!?!??! Someone will pay for this!!  
  
*silence*  
  
[In a different room...]  
  
Me: Remember, this is first-season Yami!! He's eeeevil!! *giggles*  
  
Chaos: *looks down* Something tells me this will not end well.  
  
Me: And I own the name of Chaos' former master!! No stealing that, either!!  
  
Hugs to everybody who reviewed Chappie Five!!  
  
Kage NoTenshi: Yami is veddy veddy mean to the monsters. I mean, what else can happen to them? This is my somewhat obscure way of not-quite-bashing- Yami. I think we'll knock him out of the story entirely later on. You know...a kind of alternate ending?  
  
WSJ: Eeeeevil Yami...I just love saying that. Of course Sinistrad is cool, now you've managed to convince me all DM's are super-neato!! Expect to see a certain Red Dark Magician turn up sometime later in the story!!  
  
Sento-Kami: Woot!! Kudos for reviewing all chapters!! Continuing...right now. I'm writing as fast as I can...poor you!! Exams!! Worst thing in the world for a writer!  
  
Monoshiri: Yeah, short chappies. I wrote them all at once, then split them up. Oooh...Exodia. Now there's an idea. For now, we have Osiris - Yami's god card - but who knows?? There may be three pieces of Exodia wandering around by themselves. :P Scenery? Grayness. Yep, that's the Shadow Realm for you. But I suppose the fortress... yeah. That's scenery.  
  
DemonSurfer: Chiron, Triton, and Meaein? Cool!! I'll keep that in mind!! *munches on chocolate* I actually named BEWD Ultimate 'Fear.' For some strange reason. I don't know why - probably 'cuz Kaiba kept ranting about 'a duel monster without fear' and all that good stuff. ^o^ But what Kaiba says is law, so I must obey!! The normal BEWDS aren't really going to turn up until a while later, when we switch POV's to enemy territory.  
  
Steeple333: I haven't actually seen the first season, I've just heard loads about the pharaoh's evilness. He sounded like...I dunno!! All the 'driving people insane.' Spork - yeah, that was just a random name. I think the next monster who pops up I'll name Kumquat. ^^;;  
  
Remember, folks, this was done for a lark. I was bored. :P And also remember that being mean to characters is a sign of affection!!  
  
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Dragon Shadows - Chapter Six  
  
In two hours came the expected soft tread in the hallway. It stopped, just past the Dark Magician's door. There was a soft click as Chaos' door was opened. "Magician of Black Chaos," came the pharaoh's voice through the wall. It was a statement, merely to draw the other's attention.  
  
"What do you want?" There was the mage's voice, no longer calm.  
  
"I merely come to congratulate you on winning the duel for me." He chuckled. "But there is a small matter, concerning yourself, that you should be aware of."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Evandrien has been reincarnated."  
  
Still silence.  
  
"He's challenged me to a duel."  
  
The silence after the last statement was almost eerie.  
  
"I ordered his execution to be at sundown - and this time, I think you should be present."  
  
"No, no, no!!" Chaos cried. There was the sound of a scuffle. Sinistrad did some quick thinking. Evandrien was the name of Chaos' former master. The one Yami had had beheaded in Egypt for beating him in a duel. Maybe the pharaoh had finally cracked. Maybe seeing his long-dead opponent had made him want to bring out his anger on someone else. Someone such as the creature who had shown such devotion to the sorcerer back in Egypt.  
  
Sinistrad had heard enough. This wasn't right. The pharaoh sometimes enjoyed torturing people, driving them insane. He had never tried anything on the Dark Magician, because Sinistrad wasn't afraid of him in the slightest, and the other monsters might rally against him if he did something to their leader. But Chaos...Chaos feared the pharaoh. And Yami knew it.  
  
Sinistrad slipped out his door and through the door to Chaos' chambers.  
  
Chaos was backed up against the wall, thin and fragile next to the shorter, physically stronger Yami. Yami had both hands on either side of the mage's shoulders, effectively pinning him to the wall. Chaos looked terrified, frozen to the spot, like a deer caught in headlights. Chaos' staff was on the floor next to the pharaoh. Apparently he had tried to defend himself, but it had been knocked out of his hands.  
  
Sinistrad calmly hit Yami over the back of the head with his staff. The pharaoh dropped. Sinistrad dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor.  
  
"Th-than-thank y-you," Chaos stuttered. Then his gaze flicked down to Yami. "But h-he's not g-going to be ver-very pleased about y-you interfering."  
  
"My first duty is to my fellow creatures," Sinistrad answered, leaning on his staff. "We are all his servants, but that does not mean he has the right to harm us."  
  
Chaos nodded, eyes still darting back and forth between the Dark Magician and Yami. "But s-still...couldn't he banish you?"  
  
"Let him try," said Sinistrad, arms folded across his chest. "He won't fare very well without me."  
  
Chaos looked around. "Where's my Ra-bedamned staff?" he muttered to himself, bending down to the floor . He bit down on a yelp as he straightened up again, putting a hand to the wound on his side from earlier. It was still fresh. He stared at the blood on his gloves for a few seconds, then turned somewhat more blue than usual.  
  
Chaos didn't like blood. In all truths, it scared him. Made his nauseous. That was why the aftermath of battles were never nice for him.  
  
Sinistrad caught him as he fell.  
  
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Chaos: I faint...again...boy, this is getting boring.  
  
Me: Silence, fool!!  
  
Chaos: *is whapped over the head with a plastic slinky*  
  
Me: Eeeevil Yami....  
  
Chaos: Three times now...Sinistrad!! *yelling* How much were you wagering on that??  
  
Me: Review review review review review review...waiiit a second...you're putting BETS on me??  
  
Chaos: Uh....  
  
Me: Eeeevil Yami...  
  
Chaos: THERE!! FOUR!! I WIN!! HAND OVER YOUR TEN BUCKS!! 


	7. Time Passes

Summoned Skull: *makes gargling noise* *chokes* Augh!!  
  
Curse of Dragon, Gaia, and Celtic Guardian: *sigh*  
  
Celtic Guardian: Of course, what he MEANT to say was that we don't own Yu- gi-oh, Kazuki Takahashi does...  
  
Summoned Skull: *gargles* It's not my fault I have bad breath!!  
  
Me: The name of the Dark Magician Girl isn't mine!! It's owned by the great J.R.R. Tolkien!!  
  
****  
  
Kudos to Sento-Kami and Kage noTenshi, who reviewed!!  
  
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Dragon Shadows - Chapter Seven  
  
Time passed in the Shadow Realm. The monsters didn't know how long it was, and they really didn't care. There were new additions to their motley crew - three magnet warriors, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. The mighty Busterblader. And of course, a Dark Magician Girl, who went by the name of Elanor.  
  
Sinistrad had taken it upon himself to train her in the use of magic. She was a quick study, fortunately for her. It was a normal afternoon, as normal as could be. About half of the monsters were watching Miles and Bane, the Busterblader, spar in the courtyard. The rest of the group were in the common room. Sinistrad, Elanor, and a handful of other new monsters had just returned from demolishing a masked man in a duel. The pharaoh was competing in a tournament of sorts, so people kept being called away and returned in the blink of an eye.  
  
Chaos was sitting moodily in a dark corner, staff resting against the wall. He was bored, bored and annoyed. Bored because nothing truly interesting had happened in a long while. Annoyed because Elanor had been gazing at him with worshipful eyes ever since she had come in. For now, his theory was that if he didn't move, she would forget he was there.  
  
The Dark Magician was trying not to laugh at Chaos' predicament. It was really too funny. Chaos had never been developed a close friendship with any other monsters, save for his and Sinistrad's morning staff exercises. But now Elanor was stalking him. He was forced to find new hiding places, and usually avoided the common room. And, of course, the Dark Magician Girl didn't realize he did not return her affections. She didn't really care, though. She was satisfied to sit there and watch him adoringly from the distance.  
  
Chaos was considering running up the tallest tower and jumping out the window when he heard an increase in noise from the courtyard. He jumped up, grabbed his staff, and headed out the door. Two minutes later, Elanor followed him.  
  
The chaos mage descended to where Miles and Bane were shaking hands. It had been an even match, but Miles had won by a hair. Neither had been wearing armor, and the only weapons used were blunt practice swords. An idea popped into Chaos' head. Anything for a distraction - but he hand long wanted to test his skills against the formidable strength of the Black Luster Soldier.  
  
"Miles," he called. "Staff combat. Feel up to it?"  
  
The warrior glanced him over quickly and raised an eyebrow. Then he saw the Dark Magician Girl coming down the stairs to the courtyard, watching Chaos' every move. Chaos shot him a pleading look. Miles grinned and nodded.  
  
The rest of the monsters created a space in the middle of the area. Someone tossed Miles the shaft of a spear that had lost its tip. He gripped it experimentally, then tried a few passes. Chaos positioned himself in a fighting stance, holding his staff up in front of him.  
  
If Chaos knew the warrior as well as he thought he did, he'd try first for a direct attack. He stayed stock-still, muscles tensed. "On count of three, Miles. One...two...three!"  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Me: Oooh, Chaos!! You're gonna fight!!  
  
Chaos: ;''-.-''; You and your obsessions...fight scenes...geez...  
  
Me: You know, you're one, too!!  
  
Chaos: A fad? And I thought one crazy fangirl stalking me was enough!!  
  
Me: *shakes head* No!! I am utterly devoted to you!! And I found you first, so the DMG has to go find her own!! Mine!! *pauses* But I still haven't decided if I'm sacrificing my sister or my brother to you first.  
  
Chaos: *turns purple* Sacrifices??? Sacrifices involve BLOOD!! I hate blood!!  
  
Me: Oh...yeah...well, I'd sacrifice their...souls!! No blood involved!!  
  
Black Luster Soldier: *pokes head in* Say, this is getting interesting. And just wondering...will you tell me which of us will win??  
  
Me: Win what??  
  
Black Luster Soldier: The fight!!  
  
Chaos: ;''-.-'';()  
  
Me: Uhh...can't tell you that...  
  
Chaos: Well, it's obvious she's going to make me win! After all, I am her FAVORITE character. *preens*  
  
Black Luster Soldier: No, me!!  
  
Chaos: Me!!  
  
Black Luster Solider: ME!!  
  
Chaos: ME!!  
  
Black Luster Solider: ME!!  
  
Chaos: ME!!  
  
Black Luster Solider: ME!!  
  
Chaos: ME!!  
  
Both: *fade out*  
  
Me: REVIEW, people, unless you want us all to starve!! 


	8. Enter the God Cards

Dark Magician Girl: *giggles* We don't own Yu-gi-oh!! *turns to authoress* Will you make him stop running away now??  
  
Slink: *nods* Yup!!  
  
Chaos: *blinks* WHAAAT?!?!?!?!?!? *tries to run away* *is frozen to the floor* AAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MEEE??? I THOUGHT YOU LIKED ME!!!  
  
Slink: *blinks* You're right!! *glomps* *glares at DMG* MY Chaos!!  
  
And there's a joke on the Summoned Skull's name, too!! It came from my idea that he sounds like he's gargling. I guess I don't own it - it must be copyrighted or something.  
  
*****  
  
Molly Jean: Yeah, this'll get complicated all right. In a couple chapters...you won't BELIEVE who turns up. That'll be occuring at ABOUT the same time as the ending for 'Daughter of Anubis.' (which won't happen for a long time.) Yugi turns up...you've read 'The Sound of Silence', so you should understand what's happening. Yugi, Mokuba, and Isis are in the Shadow Realm, while their bodies are pretty much dead. :P Confusing, ne?  
  
Sento-Kami: Wow, you have a LOT of multiple identities!! *grin grin* Me, I think I have only one personality, then a kind of 'mask' that I never take off. I seem like two totally different people, because most of the time I'm only pretending to be nice!! *snorts* These mortals are so foolish...  
  
Kage NoTenshi: When I write my bashing fic (which will probably never happen) I'll put in a bit about fangirls dropping in out of nowhere and attaching themselves to the bishounen... *giggle* Actually, at first I had this urge to call the DMG 'Mary Sue.' Don't know why, though. *whistles innocently* I just don't like her. *gasp* You're rooting for Miles??? Bad. Very bad. You KNOW Chaos will win, but then this is for fun, so it doesn't matter.  
  
Lunar Heart: Heck, Chaos is hot anyway... ^^;; The Dark Magician is cool, I agree. Though personally the Red Dark Magician (Pandora's) seemed to have more of a personality. And the reason Chaos and Miles are having this sort of mock-battle is because the DMG is following MY Chaos Mage around and generally being annoying. The Dark Magician Girl (at least this one) doesn't like violence, so it's Chaos' reasoning that she'll leave him alone and he can sneak away after.  
  
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Dragon Shadows - Chapter Eight  
  
As expected, Miles immediately brought his staff up and swept it down towards the mage. Chaos nimbly spun aside, then whirled around and brought his staff down towards Miles' unprotected back. However, its descent was stopped as it hit the warrior's staff. He'd been able to bring it back up in time.  
  
Miles tried to force Chaos back using his superior strength, then knocked him forwards, stepping out of the way as he staggered. But then, when he was almost to the ground, he sprang up again, catlike, and forced Miles back with a rain of quick blows. The dull clack as the staves hit each other echoed through the courtyard. Miles was better than Chaos had thought he would be - though his technique was somewhat slow, he was still able to repel any attack with brute force. A way around it, then.  
  
Chaos struck forward again, subtly working his way to the side, until he was nearly out of the other's line of vision. Miles realized what he was doing and only barely managed to block his attack. Chaos danced back, whirling his staff in front of him like a shield.  
  
Miles lunged forward at the right moment, locking their staffs together. Chaos parried out of instinct, then pulled his staff back and to the side, forcing Miles' weapon downwards. Then he used the technique Sinistrad had used on him, sweeping the long, slender pole around and down, knocking his knees out from under him and bringing him to the ground. He slammed the end of his staff into the dusty earth inches from his opponent's neck, symbolizing his victory.  
  
Miles got to his feet, wiping his face. "Well fought, my friend." They clasped hands briefly, then both backed away. Chaos scanned the courtyard quickly - good. There was no sign of Elanor.  
  
He let his hands fall to his sides, then leaned against one of the castle's stone walls. Well, then, Sinistrad had been right. Speed gave more of an advantage to a fighter than mere brute force.  
  
The mage now had a reprieve from the incessant attentions of that young sorceress. Maybe Sinistrad had taken her to task, finally.  
  
*****  
  
Chaos had guard duty on the east tower from midnight to dawn. It was uneventful, for the most part. He just stood there on the battlements, leaning on his staff, watching the slow rise of the Shadow Realm's small, red sun.  
  
That is, he thought it was uneventful. Then he noticed the dim light glinting off a red, scaly, long, huge, SOMETHING. The SOMETHING was wrapped around the entire fortress twice - no, three times!  
  
For a moment he just stood there, shocked. Then he heard cries from Scope, the Summoned Skull, guard on the north tower, Loki, on the west tower, and Chu, on the south tower. Gaia, who once again had gate duty, sprinted for the castle itself.  
  
In moments Sinistrad was on the wall, followed closely by Elanor. The Dark Magician stared at the SOMETHING open-mouthed. "What in the name of Ra is this monstrosity?"  
  
Surprisingly enough, Elanor chose that moment to speak up. "Don't worry," she said. "I don't think it will harm us."  
  
Sinistrad finally closed his mouth. "What is it then?" he said, trying to retain his calm front.  
  
"It's Osiris himself, if you must know."  
  
The two magicians stared at her, slack-jawed.  
  
She choked back a giggle. "Really. It's not that big a deal. The pharaoh must have won his last duel."  
  
"But - but it's one of the three gods!" protested Chaos. "This can't be!!"  
  
"Oh, yes, it can!" She smiled coyly. "Ask the Busterblader. He saw it all. I was only there part of the time."  
  
Then the mass of blood-red scales around the fortress moved. Wait. Blood- red. Why, oh why did he have to make that particular comparison? He dimly saw the massive head of the dragon rear up.  
  
Feeling nauseous, Chaos was relieved when his vision went black.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Chaos: Are you going to make a habit of this??  
  
Slink: Yes. No. Maybe. ^o^ It's fun to make you suffer.  
  
Chaos: So blood makes me nauseous.  
  
Slink: Yes.  
  
Chaos: And let me guess...there's going to be a lot of blood in this story because you happen to like it.  
  
Slink: Yes.  
  
Chaos: ... ... ... Dear Ra ... ... ... *faints*  
  
Slink: I had this sudden urge to make the staff-fighting situation much more dangerous, but these are Duel Monsters - I don't want to kill them!! I think it's because in my OWN world, my OWN story, there's these two characters who have this duel to the death on top of the wall of a tower (about five hundred feet off the ground). And it's basically to the death. And it's very, veddy veddy dangerous. *grin* Review!!  
  
*****  
  
NEXT CHAPTER: Sinistrad has a very interesting conversation with the Pharaoh's God Card. 


	9. A Conversation with Osiris

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Yu. Gi. Oh. Mwha!!  
  
*****  
  
Molly Jean: Well, the timeline sort of jumps around. It started after Episode 39 (Pegasus vs. Yugi) and skipped around till after Yugi's duel with the Silent Doll or whatever his name is. Okies? Okies.  
  
Kage NoTenshi: Mwhahaha, it is Chaos' curse that he will always end up getting knocked out!! I hope it isn't bad for him... ^.^;; The God of Osiris, and basically all of the god cards, are sort of aloof, and like Oh- look-at-me-I'm-a-god-and-you're-all-little-insects-compared-to-me and stuff like that. Sometimes Ra's sort of stuck up.  
  
Gyakutenno Megami: Eeeevil Yami...heh, just wanted to say that one more time. Woah, a tournament in Las Vegas? Oh, that new monster holding the broken doll, is that it? I have that in Chinese. I don't know what it is, either...  
  
Sento-Kami: Yah, I just have to torment Chaos. Poor Chaos.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Dragon Shadows, Chapter 9  
  
Sinistrad stared out towards the already-risen sun. He'd taken over the guard post, and was waiting for the great dragon to speak. Elanor had been only too happy to help Chaos back inside the fortress.  
  
"You do not fear me," the beast stated.  
  
"No," agreed Sinistrad, leaning on his staff, "I do not."  
  
"Then there is no reason to be concerned." The dragon settled back down around the fortress. "I am only here to serve the pharaoh."  
  
Sinistrad blinked. "You will just stay there, then?"  
  
"Where else is there room?" If the dragon had lips, he'd be smiling. "I am most useful out here. There is no more need for your pathetic little guards and sentries."  
  
"All right," the magician said cautiously. "Does the pharaoh know of this?"  
  
"Of course. He is the mortal who won me. I now obey him, and only him." The dragon closed his eyes, indicating that the conversation was at an end.  
  
Sinistrad dazedly called the other three sentries and the gate's guard back into the fortress.  
  
*****  
  
Later the monsters held a meeting of sorts. There were mixed opinions about this new creature. Some protested that he couldn't be trusted, while others retorted that he was protecting the castle, and that was that.  
  
Spork argued, "How do we know he's trustworthy?" The dragon had always been something of a pessimist.  
  
"He seems completely loyal to the pharaoh," shot back Miles.  
  
"To the pharaoh, yes," said Gaia. "But what about us? We are specks of dust in the eyes of the gods. It could destroy us all and care less."  
  
This caused a murmur to spread around the common room. People were switching sides as they digested this new possibility.  
  
"Then bring the pharaoh here, to decide what to do with it," cut in Chaos. He was sitting on the couch, trying not to think of blood. He was also, might I add, seated next to the Dark Magician Girl, and none too happy about it. "If it seems loyal to the pharaoh, then it's logical that the pharaoh will be the only one it will obey."  
  
"..." said Sinistrad, glaring at him. "I was going to say that."  
  
Chaos ignored him. "Not that any of us really relish the prospect of the pharaoh coming here and messing things up..." There were nods from the monsters. "But it's necessary. This god-creature must be...controlled."  
  
And so it was decided. The pharaoh would have to come visit his creatures again.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
So, I'll have to write more now, ne? This was all previously written. I cheat. ^_^ Look for an update in maybe a week or so.  
  
Review!! 


	10. From the Other Side of the Fence

Disclaimer: I no own, I no own.  
  
*****  
  
Sorry about taking so long, guys... *shrugs* I sort of went on a writing spree for DOA and my new HP ficcy and my new Redwall ficcy...Many apologies. *bows* This chappie wanders away from Yami's monsters quite a bit, to - *snicker* You'll have to figure it out yourself.  
  
Sento-Kami: Nope, you're not stupid. XD  
  
Princess Ria: *sigh* Yet another Dark Magician fan...sorry to say, no Sinistrad this chapter.  
  
Kage noTenshi: Heh, the pharaoh's gonna come back just in time to welcome some rather unwelcome visitors...  
  
Molly Jean: Yup, it was short. This chapter is DEFINITELY longer than usual.  
  
*****  
  
NOTE: This is my personal interpretation of the god cards. To me, Obelisk doesn't seem very nice. In fact, I don't trust him at all. The Saint Dragon of Osiris is, well...high-and-mighty. Ra is...well, you'll have to find out about him later.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Dragon Shadows, Chapter 10: On the Other Side of the Fence  
  
They'd been wandering in enemy territory for days. Apollo didn't know where they were. He didn't know who they should be watching out for. And he didn't know where else to go.  
  
It had been awful, the force that drove them out. The dark sky had flashed blue and bright white, and what had once been their fortress was a smoking heap of rubble. And in the midst of it all had been the huge, hulking silhouette...  
  
And they had fled.  
  
Well, that wasn't the entire truth. It had been Ganymede's suggestion. Obviously they couldn't stay. But Ganymede had added that the great creature didn't seem very friendly - and the others had suddenly agreed.  
  
Or maybe that was because the silhouette had started to move towards them.  
  
They'd changed form, all three of them, followed by Adamantis. The others went as they willed, but most chose to go with their leaders. So they'd flown for what seemed like an eternity, until they saw the small, isolated castle on the horizon.  
  
They were clustered around a small hillock in the normally flat ground, all eyeing the castle in the distance with caution. It was impossible to tell whether it was guarded or not.  
  
"Should we risk it?" Io murmured in Apollo's ear.  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
It was Adamantis who saved them on that matter. "Look at it this way," he said matter-of-factly. "We have absolutely nothing left to lose but our own lives." Letting his eyes travel across the assembled monsters and then drop, he added, "And I doubt anyone will miss us when we're gone."  
  
"You're right," Apollo said suddenly. "Our master doesn't seem to care about us as he did before the Kami-no-cardo came into his possession."  
  
Io sighed and fingered the ragged and singed edges of her silver-white hair, blue eyes defeated and without hope. "We have no choice, if we wish to save the others. I don't know about any of you - " she glanced around at the other three, "But it's a risk I am willing to take."  
  
It was only when they were less than half a mile away from the fortress that they noticed the creature settled around it. Another one. Another Kami-no-cardo. A great, red serpent.  
  
Osiris.  
  
*****  
  
Amaranth had been an outcast for a long, long time. It all began after she had left the pharaoh's monsters, to wander in the realm of shadows for forever and a day, alone and yet not alone.  
  
There were others, too, other exiles. Incomplete or ripped, as hers had been. There were two Dark Magicians whose cards had been tampered with, and two discarded pieces of the Forbidden One.  
  
All the same, she'd never really been one of the pharaoh's monsters. At first they had been in the possession of another, and she had been valued too much to duel with. It had been after that only duel that she had been cast out.  
  
Betrayed by kith and kin.  
  
She tilted her head upwards, looking towards where the sky might have been, had this been the real world. She couldn't have seen the dim, purple-black clouds, even if she wanted to.  
  
It had been a battle, here, in the realm of shadows, that had led to her blindness. She had wandered in circles for days before finding a spot in the middle of nowhere - or so she thought. There had been a group of renegades - other exiles - who had crossed paths with her and challenged her to a match of magic. They had had a powerful sorcerer on their side...and so the incident had left her crippled.  
  
Gwyddeon and Ezekiel had found her shortly after that, lost and injured. Before the incident she would never have trusted another Dark Magician - after all, he was nothing more than the pharaoh's servant, and it had been the ancient laws of the same pharaoh that forced her to leave.  
  
She had realized shortly after that Gwyddeon and Ezekiel were like her - outcasts in the Shadow Realm. Supposedly they still had a master, yet he cheated at the game and therefore was not considered as such. Not by his creatures, and not by anyone else.  
  
They'd exchanged tales of woe and sorrow, doom and destruction, short-lived hope and lost love. It wasn't a question of where they would go - they were there, and that was all that mattered.  
  
Amaranth tried not to think of what she'd left behind - all the faces were blurred and indistinct in her darkened mind. She'd buried the memories of her past life when the ancient laws had forced her to leave. She was no longer one of them - her card had been taken by a different master, and then destroyed. So she belonged to no one.  
  
And all her love had been left behind, in the pharaoh's castle. She'd grown cold and quiet, not showing the heartbreak deep inside.  
  
She had thought at first of going to her brother, but his master was the one who had...had...  
  
She wouldn't think of it anymore.  
  
*****  
  
Apollo finally found the courage to approach the fortress. He could sense the others behind him, following about five paces behind. The great red dragon seemed not to notice them; it didn't move at all.  
  
When Apollo was within two paces of the blood-red scales, he saw what must've been a gate behind them. So the dragon was guarding it...or holding those inside captive. But no matter the case, they had to get inside. There was nowhere left to turn, and every single creature was dead tired.  
  
"Excuse me..." he began tentatively. "Great lord..."  
  
The dragon didn't move.  
  
"Will you allow us entrance?"  
  
Apollo began to step even closer to the glittering scales. That was when the dragon began to shift. It slid slowly around the fortress, until the head came into view.  
  
Apollo nearly screamed and ran away. But being Apollo, he only backed up several paces, bumping into Adamantis.  
  
"It's huge," he whispered.  
  
"That's why they call them gods," Adamantis muttered, somewhat cynically.  
  
"YOU DARE REQUEST ENTRANCE TO THE FORTRESS OF THE PHARAOH?"[1]  
  
Apollo gulped. "...yes...?"  
  
"DO YOU HAVE A REASON THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY YOU, PITIFUL WORM?"  
  
"...we...ah..." Apollo turned to Io. "Help!" he hissed. "I think it's going to just kill us!"  
  
She started chewing on her lower lip. Ganymede was holding a whispered argument with Adamantis. The rest of the monsters hung behind. The situation was getting desperate - the god didn't trust them at all.  
  
"Woo!"  
  
All thought was interrupted as the four monsters heard the unmistakable sound, the warcry of a...  
  
A Kuriboh.  
  
On instinct, Ganymede yelped and attempted to hide his head in his arms. Apollo shuddered and tried to disappear into the ground. Io stood firm, hiding her fear.  
  
Adamantis, on the other hand, had no previous encounters with the creature and didn't know better. "Wha - what're you all afraid of?" he said. "It's just a fuzzball."  
  
"It's the worst enemy one can ever find." Ganymede was staring at the abominable three-toed creature with loathing. The creature in question was 'woo'-ing excitedly to the great red dragon. The god growled softly.  
  
"IT SAYS TO LET YOU IN."  
  
"Thank you, great lord."  
  
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN I AGREE WITH IT."  
  
Apollo's spirits fell. "Why not?"  
  
"WHAT IS THE WORD OF A KURIBOH AGAINST THAT OF A GOD?"  
  
"Wait!" A new voice cut through the ominous silence that followed the god's question. "I say let them in." There was another creature up on the battlements - a Dark Magician. By his side was another, the Celtic Guardian.  
  
Ganymede sighed in resignation. "Any guesses to where we are, cousin?"  
  
Apollo shook his head, then nodded. "Somewhere we don't want to be. But we still need sanctuary."  
  
"Sanctuary with our enemies?" Ganymede raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"...I said to let them in. They are of no concern to you. WE shall deal with them..."  
  
Apollo noted wryly that the Dark Magician was having a hard time convincing his ally - or enemy, more like - to move and let them in.  
  
"WHY SHOULD I?"  
  
"Because we're...asking you to?" The Dark Magician knew he was walking on thin ice. "Please. We beg you."  
  
The dragon rumbled angrily deep within its throat. "IF YOU INSIST..."  
  
All of a sudden, the dragon was gone. Well, not entirely. In his place was a man, obviously an Egyptian, to judge by his attire and manner, but his skin was...green. And the clothes he was wearing actually resembled...wrappings, like those mummies were bound in.  
  
"You're..." Adamantis said, eyes widening. He may not have fought against a Kuriboh before, but he knew his ancient Egyptian history. "You're..."  
  
"OSIRIS, LORD OF THE DEAD."  
  
Adamantis bent down upon one knee. The three others quickly did the same.  
  
"OH, STOP THAT NONSENSE. GET INSIDE." He gestured with one green hand at the doors to the fortress, which were swinging open. Gratefully, the four and their followers rushed inside.  
  
The gate shut behind them, and they saw the red dragon reappear.  
  
Inside was pandemonium. Monsters they had seen before, old enemies, old allies. Some were chattering excitedly, others eyeing them suspiciously. Io, Ganymede, and Adamantis just stood there uncomfortably as they were examined by the onlookers.  
  
Apollo, on the other hand, was scanning the crowds for someone. His blue eyes finally alit upon one monster. In shock, he stared, dumbstruck. "You're...you can't be..." But it was. His younger sister's fiancée...  
  
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[1] Yes, the gods all talk in caps, LIKE THIS. I got the idea from the Death in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Don't own it.  
  
*****  
  
Wow, that was the longest chapter yet! Just in case anyone's getting confoozled, here's a list of the monsters in this chapter and their names:  
  
Seto's BEWDs: Apollo, Ganymede, and Io (Io and Ganymede are cousins)  
  
Ripped-up BEWD: Amaranth (younger sister of Apollo)  
  
Hyozanryu: Adamantis (means 'diamond' in Latin)  
  
Pieces of Exodia: Er...Right Leg and Left Arm?  
  
Pandora's (Arkana's) Dark Magicians: Ezekiel and Gwyddeon  
  
NOTE: Heh heh...so the first pairing of the story is ???/Amaranth. Person who guesses gets to name any monster without a name so far!! (This includes Seto, Joey/Jounouchi, Pegasus, Mai, and anyone whose deck I am familiar with. --- And GriffinFire, since you actually helped me think this up, this does not apply to you.)  
  
So review!! Guess the mystery monster!! 


	11. What Everyone ELSE Has Been Doing These ...

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-gi-oh. However, I DO own the characters of all the monsters you see here (not the monsters themselves, just the characters that I've invented for them.)  
  
*****  
  
Yeesh, sorry to keep y'all waiting so darned long!! I've had an unbelievable amount of schoolwork, about five zillion tests...finals. Erk. I promise once school ends I will be writing nonstop!! See, I had this all written last week, then I sorta forgot, then the site wouldn't work...yadda yadda yadda...  
  
Sento-Kami: Mmf, I tried to draw the BEWDs once because they're just the coolest... *shakes head* Didn't work.  
  
G.O.T. Nick: I'm guessing you don't believe in inter-species dating, huh? ^^;;  
  
Molly Jean: Nope, Osiris is the green mummy-ish looking one. Horus has the head of a falcon, Thoth the head of an ibis... [Several hours later] ...Nut has wings, Anubis has the head of a jackal... *is hit on the head by a textbook* Ow...I shouldn't spend so much time studying ancient myths...  
  
Solarious: Ah, yet another supporter of the BEWD/REBD pairing... -.-;; D'oh. I think I actually have something...else...planned for that one... *grins evilly*  
  
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Dragon Shadows, Chapter 11: What Everyone ELSE Has Been Doing These Past Two Years...  
  
Iuriel was in a bad mood - all the other creatures could sense it. He was leaning on the battlements, staring moodily into the distance. No one bothered him unless they really wanted their head bitten off.  
  
That wasn't a likely occurrence, though. When Iuriel was in a bad mood he stayed in humanoid form, probably so the others wouldn't be able to find him so easily. After all, some of the others had human forms to change into if they weren't like that in the first place.  
  
Killer was the only one whose presence he would tolerate, them being the same species and all. The red-headed boy - appearing to be about ten in human years, but in reality much older - was usually full of good sense.  
  
Of course, that wasn't counting the times when he'd found Matthias' secret stash of chocolate.  
  
They were both up on the wall, sitting in companionable silence, when Iuriel suddenly stiffened. "Someone's coming!" he whispered, milk-white skin going even paler than usual, red eyes widening. Killer raised an eyebrow when Iuriel sniffed the air experimentally. The other shrugged and offered a rare smile - exposing sharp white teeth. "Sorry. It's a habit."  
  
Within minutes they were off the wall and going down the wide, stone steps in the middle of the castle's flat roof. On the stairs they passed the portly Time Wizard who went by the name of Rincewind [1]. "What's going on?" His voice was somewhat echoey, accompanied by many clicks and whirs; after all, he was something of a machine himself.  
  
"Iurielsaysthatothersarecomingandweregonnagoseewhotheyare," panted Killer, and left Rincewind still trying to work out what he had said.  
  
Matthias - the Flame Swordsman - was standing at the door. It was apparent that he had sensed newcomers as well.  
  
"Should we open the door?" said Killer, more cautiously, his previous excitement wearing off somewhat. "Do you think they're dangerous?"  
  
Matthias shrugged. "It's not that much of a risk. We can take them on."  
  
"That's only because I'm on YOUR side," said Iuriel cynically. He laid a hand on the bar that held the door shut. Matthias lifted up the other end, and Killer pushed the door open. The two dragons held a whispered conference with the swordsman, then stepped out onto the black-purple plain as he shut the door behind them. Iuriel scanned the horizon.  
  
"Why is there no one there?" said Killer in puzzlement. "You said - "  
  
That was when they heard the unmistakable screech of a Harpie Lady, as one of them dove from above.  
  
*****  
  
"I've had enough!!" With those words, Gwendolyn turned on her heel and walked straight in the opposite direction. She pushed aside the pink silk curtain and left them all in the other room, still staring after her.  
  
Gwen threw down the staff, not caring as it clattered to the floor, listening in satisfaction to the squeals of dismay that followed her. In short order she had found her way back to her own room.  
  
She'd lived many long years in the small, snug palace, each day a painful reminder of how things should have been. She remembered the one match in which things had gone as they ought to, when someone else had called upon her to fight...that was where she belonged. She remembered the force that had pulled her out of the card. She had felt the others' spirits close beside her. Matthias, the Flame Swordsman. Julius, the Cyber Commander.  
  
And, of course, Sinistrad. [2]  
  
She pulled off her long purple robes and yanked a dark blue tunic over her head. Combined with the gold-edged armor and horned helmet, the clothes made her look like an entirely different creature. [3] She smiled at herself in the mirror, then decided it made her appear too friendly and changed it to a grimace.  
  
That done, she retrieved her staff and tossed it out of the only window, assessed the distance to the ground - only about ten feet - and jumped. She stumbled and dropped into a roll as she touched ground, picked up her staff, then set off at a dogged pace, in the vague direction of the pharaoh's palace.  
  
*****  
  
The Muka Muka had been gnawing away at the wooden door to its room again. Now it was not so much a door as a...doorway. And the creature itself had escaped...again. Moira huffed in exasperation and tried to concentrate on her spells...  
  
Yet that in itself was rather impossible, considering the numbers of small, rather anatomically incorrect, made-of-rubber creatures that were bouncing around her chair. The Blue Eyes Toon Dragon - Barney - squeaked as it passed her. She ignored it.  
  
It was then that it changed the squeak into nearly incomprehensible words. "Sha Muka Muka shash theresh a'narmedth ninjer outshide!"  
  
Moira blinked. "An...Armed Ninja?"  
  
The demented-looking Toon nodded vigorously. "Yesh!! Dat'sh wat I shedd!"  
  
Moira sighed and stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off of her skirt, and followed Barney down the long, spiraling staircase. When they reached the bottom of the tower, the Toon scampered off to the right, where the gate was. The Muka Muka was gnawing on the stone of the archway - thankfully not the gate itself - and standing outside was someone dressed vaguely as an Armed Ninja.  
  
Well, it was obvious that it wasn't a true Armed Ninja - for one, it was definitely too short. Its staff, while still crescent-shaped, was gold, and the armor looked altogether too loose, as if it had been crafted for someone much larger.  
  
Moira put her hands on her hips. "All right. Who are you?"  
  
"You can't recognize me?" The creature dressed as an Armed Ninja sighed. "You call yourself my sister?!"  
  
"..." The Witch of the Black Forest blinked. "..." Several seconds later, her mouth formed an O of astonishment. "Gwen?"  
  
The Magician of Faith pulled off the horned helmet and fluffed her purple hair. "Of course. Can I come inside now?"  
  
The Muka Muka was only too happy to hold the helmet. Gwen followed her sister into the stone fortress; Barney followed dejectedly like a lost puppy.  
  
"No one evah paysh any 'tenshun to me..."  
  
*****  
  
Moira made tea while Gwen was interrogated by the Toons, all of whom would not stop bombarding her with questions about who she was and what she was and where she came from. The younger sister didn't find them annoying - she liked them. After all, they were more 'demented' than 'cute.' And Gwen had had enough of 'cute' to last her a lifetime.  
  
Barney, being Barney, was hogging all the attention.  
  
"You shaid tat you 'ad to live wif a Shinin' Fwiendship!! I shaw one of dose!"  
  
Gwen nodded. "It's awful. It just sits there and looks at you and...squeaks." She shuddered.  
  
She had changed into one of Moira's spare robes - Moira had been afraid that her younger sister would become known as a cross-dresser - and put the armor into a neat pile in a corner. The Toon Summoned Skull was trying on the helmet - of course, it was several sizes too big for him. He giggled insanely. Gwen giggled.  
  
Moira handed her a cup of tea. Gwendolyn didn't drink it immediately - instead she stirred it for several minutes as the Toons looked on, then jerked her head up when she realized Moira was tapping one foot on the floor irritably.  
  
"Would you like me to go freeze it for you?" she said, one eyebrow raised.  
  
Gwen shook her head quickly, gulping down nearly half of the cup. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I forgot."  
  
"Fowgot wat?" inquired the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon. Gwen just stroked his silvery-white scales and smiled.  
  
It was then that the Ryu-Ran - the real one, not the Toon - stumbled in, scattering pieces of shell. "Moira!" it growled, "The Thousand-Eyes is becoming hungry."  
  
Moira sighed and set her lips in a thin line. "We'll have to - "  
  
That was when the Muka Muka rushed in, gesturing wildly. The eyes of the Toons widened as they translated for themselves what it was saying.  
  
"Yes?" said Moira.  
  
Barney took it upon himself to inform her, conspiratorially whispering, "He shaysh that he shaw a weal blue-eyesh whide dwagon!" [4]  
  
************************************************************************  
  
[1] The name 'Rincewind' is owned by the great Terry Pratchett, not me.  
  
[2] Do y'all get what I'm talking about here? *nudge nudge* Think now. In what match were the Flame Swordsman, the Cyber Commander, the Magician of Faith, and the Dark Magician all used but not as they are normally? [And yes, the second pairing of the story is Magician of Faith/Dark Magician. ^_^;;]  
  
[3] Just because no one will probably make the connection, she's in disguise as the Armed Ninja.  
  
[4] Guess who!! ^_^ Amaranth, of course. This occurs at about the same time as Chapter 29 of DoA - right before Amaranth, Gwyddeon, and Ezekiel  
  
The new monsters from this chappie:  
  
Red Eyes Black Dragon - Iuriel (pronounced ur-ee-ell, based off of some biblical name)  
  
Baby Dragon - Killer (Ha ha.)  
  
Flame Swordsman - Matthias (Just another random name.)  
  
Time Wizard - Rincewind (I thought it was funny... ^^;;)  
  
Magician of Faith - Gwendolyn (*shrugs*)  
  
Cyber Commander - Julius (only mentioned once, yes...)  
  
Witch of the Black Forest - Moira (*shrugs* I just realized that she looks like she could've been the MoF's sister - Moira's older, and they have another sister called Aislynn, the Protector of the Throne.)  
  
BEWD Toon: Barney (Er...yeah...Barney's evil, and BEWD Toon is evil. It makes sense, ne?)  
  
*****  
  
NOTE: Er...I guess I...forgot...to pound it into you that the dragons can change into human form. It's an idea I've been using for a long time...since January 14, 2002, to be precise. And yes, there IS inter- species dating. Yeah, ALL of you said Jou's Red Eyes, but remember, I said the PHARAOH'S monsters. Not necessarily a dragon, okies? Just guess away. It does seem entirely random at first, though, but somewhat fitting. Here's your next chance to name a monster!! [And yes, this is why I've been avoiding any mention of Seth's or Yami's monsters all chapter. When everyone has attempted to guess, then we shall reveal it!]  
  
When you review, tell me what you think of the semi-cliffie. BWHAHA!! Attack of the Harpie Ladies!! What do you think of the Magician of Faith running away? What do you think of BEWD-Toon's lisp?  
  
**DoA may not be updated till next week. ;_; I sowwies! 


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